I am not one of those plant people that grew up foraging a lot. To be sure, I did grow up with a garden and spent a lot of time outside, but I grew up foraging only three things: blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries. My parents didn’t get any more adventurous than that, and they certainly weren’t going to try to ID and consume a plant that they did not recognize. I have learned, and am still learning about foraging, very slowly. Through a combination of apps, books, botanically-inclined content creators, herbalism class, and my own research, I have cross referenced IDs and grown a modest repertoire of plants I have come to know and recognize. I still can’t name every plant I come across, but I look forward to being able to.
Mugwort holds a special place for me because it was the first plant I learned several years ago when I began to forage. I noticed that there was a lot of this particular plant in my neighborhood, so I downloaded a plant ID app and looked it up. It just so happened to be mugwort. (Of course, I then verified that with multiple websites). Since it was my first time harvesting and consuming a plant that I had identified on my own, I was very nervous to try it. I took just a little nibble, nothing more. Although I wasn’t confident enough in my abilities as a forager to consume more than a little bit, I was instantly taken with the unique aromatics and flavor profile. Mugwort opened the door to foraging for me and helped me get excited about learning all my local plants and flavors. Since then, my confidence as a forager has grown, and my willingness to try strange plants in the woods has perhaps begun to lean a little reckless, a complete turnaround from my timidness a few years ago.
If you’ve been reading along, you may remember that Mugwort got a little spotlight a few weeks ago, when I wrote about wild spring edibles in my yard. Now, it’s her time to shine. I have used the term “horribly invasive” before, but I’d like to rephrase and reframe how we view these plants in a more respectful light. To be sure, invasive plants are cause for concern; they disrupt ecosystems and outcompete native species, which results in a lack of food for pollinators and birds. Mugwort in particular spreads aggressively through a large rhizome system and forms mono-stands easily, a real threat to native biodiversity. But what is today considered a weed, a nuisance and a problem in my region, was not always the case. It is here because it was brought on purpose. Of the few varieties of plants and seeds that could be brought on the long journey across the ocean, mugwort was one of them.
For some of us, our ancestors prized this plant. It is exciting to reconnect with and celebrate what was once considered sacred. I wholeheartedly believe that plants are our allies, and whether they are from here or not, I endeavor to engage with them in a respectful and reciprocal way. Mugwort is seen as a weed and a pest in North America, but it has a longstanding allyship with humans that deserves recognition and celebration.
I find that most people have heard of mugwort, even if they don’t know anything about it. The word invokes witchcraft, images of cauldrons and potions. Mugwort was an important plant that worked in partnership with wise women, midwives, and herbalists for thousands of years. It appears in a seemingly infinite amount of medieval recipes; this tells us that it was a staple and very culturally significant. Before I dive in, I want to make my stance on this plant clear. If you google mugwort, you may find some nonsense claiming that “there isn’t enough evidence to say whether this plant is safe to consume.” To that, I counter: there isn’t enough evidence to say that this plant isn’t safe to consume. Thousands of years of empirical data among various cultures IS valid evidence that the plant is not only safe, but valuable.
If you’ve been following along, you may have seen me write before about the doctrine of signatures - the idea that the character of a plant is imprinted on their physical appearance. This is a centuries-old idea that plants will give us clues about their applications if we take the time to look. While it sounds like pseudo-science, I have often found it to be true. For mugwort, the signature is imprinted on the underside of the leaves, a silvery color like the moon. Mugwort is considered to be ruled by the moon, and for good reason. It has a pronounced and well-known effect on dreams and dreaming (more on that below), and has a strong affinity for the menstrual cycle.
There are varieties of mugwort native across Eurasia, and there is a native variety called coastal mugwort, in the Pacific Northwest. There are a lot of common themes in how different cultures viewed this plant. In TCM, it was employed along with acupuncture (called moxas) to clear energy. In North America, its name in Paiute translates to Dream Plant. Clearly, mugwort’s effects on dreams were widely known across the world. Mugwort is easily found where people go; that is, it is a common garden weed and can often be found on the edges of roads and ditches. In European folklore, mugwort is often associated with protection - it is not surprising that it was planted around homes. Many traveled with pouches of it for protection, and would hang it over doors to prevent unwelcome energies from passing through.
Mugwort is well known to have a pronounced effect on dreams. We don’t know the biochemical reason, but this is very embedded in colloquial experience. While many articles might say something like, “there’s no evidence to support these claims,” I’m inclined to take personal experiences seriously, especially when they’re so widespread. There’s a difference between lack of evidence and lack of explanation - we have evidence that it works, we simply lack the explanation. I was taught that when mugwort is taken around bedtime, it can reliably change the quality of the dream, enhancing them a step from where they had been. So if you don’t usually remember your dreams, mugwort can help you begin to remember pieces. And if you already remember pieces, then mugwort might help you remember more of the narrative. Other people might go from black and white dreams into color dreams, and can be an ally if you are interested in experiencing or enhancing lucid dreams. If you are prone to stress dreams or nightmares, this is one you might want to consider steering clear of. One of my teachers has worked with mugwort as a tool for healing bad dreams; it helped her to become conscious in the nightmares and then change the narrative. This route is not easy or quick, but it is an option. For this, go for just a few drops of tincture, a small cup of tea (not a large mug), or smoke the dried leaves.
Mugwort contains both bitter and aromatic compounds. While not as bitter as dandelion leaf or gentian, like all bitter herbs, mugwort aids the digestive system. When a bitter flavor hits your tongue, it stimulates the flow of digestive enzymes throughout the entire digestive tract - this results in stronger and faster digestion, reducing the risk of food poisoning. Among its many applications, mugwort was used to flavor ale. It is a close relative of wormwood, which is well known for the role it plays in absinthe. Although mugwort has interesting aromatic qualities and flavors that lends itself nicely to food, its purpose in ale likely was utilitarian, not just about flavor. It was thought to be anti-parasitic, and as a bitter plant, that has some truth to it. It was probably included in some foods for the same reason that all other bitters were: to enhance digestion, since stronger and faster digestion meant less chance of illness.
The unique but pleasant aromatics, plus the digestion stimulant effects, combine to classify this plant as a nervine. Mugwort can help relax and calm tension, both emotional and throughout other body systems like digestive and menstrual. While being calming to the nerves, the aromatics point to stimulating action within, and mugwort exerts this gently on the liver, stimulating bile production. Bile is essential for the liver to do its important job of clearing toxins and waste products like excess hormones. If excess hormones aren’t cleared, then they remain in the body and exacerbate PMS. Mugwort also exerts action on menstruation itself as an emmenagogue (stimulates bleeding). The aromatics stimulate circulation, bringing nutrients and blood flow to the pelvic floor. Mugwort can be helpful for those that have cramps with scanty or no flow. Note: if you already have a normal to heavy flow, then mugwort might enhance this. Some may shy away from this, but I find that this action, while temporarily inconvenient, can shorten the menstrual phase by a day (this is my personal experience with emmenagogues and may not apply to others).
Today in western medicine, mugwort and other Artemisia plants are probably most well known for their ability to fight malaria. All plants in the Artemisia group are known to be effective against malaria. In their whole unprocessed form, they have even been observed to be more effective than the leading pharmaceutical (artemisinin, a concentrated extract from the plant). This points to what many herbalists know to be true: that plants have evolved intelligently, that every chemical constituent inside of them serves a purpose and all those constituents work together synergistically. Plants should not be reduced to their parts; they are most effective when worked with in their whole, complete form. This story is a wonderful example of that. In the case of malaria, one theory as to why the whole plant is better than the extract is: that the resistance to the medicine could be due to biofilm build up where the malaria parasite hides. Artemisia plants have some compounds that can help bust up this compound, so that the artemisinin can do its job. Research on this is still limited, but we will likely see more about this coming out in the coming years. To learn more about the role of artemisia in the fight against malaria, here’s an interesting article: https://www.malariaworld.org/blogs/artemisia-against-malaria-efficient-banished
A monograph of Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort)
Parts used: aerial parts (leaves)
Notable compounds: volatiles (monoterpenes: sabinene, borneol; ketones: camphor,
thujone; sesquiterpene lactones), polyphenols, coumarins, triterpenes, flavonoids
(quercitin, apigenin)
Energetics: Drying, relaxant, with notable bitterness and aromatic compounds. According to my teachers, mugwort is cooling, but many other herbalists seem to believe it's warming in nature.
Actions: stomachic, cholagogue, antispasmodic, stimulating relaxant, nervine,
emmenagogue
Origin: Europe and Asia, there is also a variety known as coastal mugwort native to the Pacific Northwest (artemisia suksdorfii).
Preparation suggestions: Tea, smoke, tincture
Notes and cautions: Can bring on a period and make heavy periods even heavier. Can enhance dreams, both good and bad. While mugwort probably isn’t abortifacient, it’s wise to avoid this plant if you’re pregnant and want to stay that way.
To harvest: Mugwort is ok to harvest anytime throughout its growing season. If you live in the Northeast of the US, you can definitely find this plant all over and harvest freely. Avoid harvesting from roadsides where there is lots of runoff. The leaves are much softer and more pliable in the spring, and are more fibrous in the fall. Both are good.
This is the third Herb of the Month dispatch of The Blueberry Patch. Every month I’ll feature a seasonally appropriate plant and wax poetic about it. Whether you are a serious herbal student or you just want to casually learn about plants, I encourage you to incorporate an Herb of the Month practice into your life. If it’s the herb I profile, great, but if you feel drawn towards some other plant, then by all means, follow that. The practice of selecting an herb of the month is a popular learning tool in herbal schools. If you decide to do this practice, then try consuming your selected herb every day of the month, in different ways. Make tea, decoctions, long overnight infusions, tinctures, mineral infusions, incorporate it into your food, and do all of this with the different edible parts of the plant. When it comes to incorporating a new plant into your life, the best knowledge of how it's going to make you feel will come from your own observations. We’re all different and we won’t all react the same way to plants - knowing what an herb can do for you ultimately has to come from your own experimentation and lived experience.